Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I am looking to relocate from Connecticut to Florida and I am interested in becoming a police officer. I have a few questions though..

1. Is there a website that lists all the agencies and departments that are currently hiring?
2. Do Florida departments have education requirements? I have 90+ credits in Criminal Justice from the University of New Haven here in CT.
3. In doing some research I've seen that there is a swim test requirement. Do all the departments require this? And what does the swim test consist of?
4. Is the academy sleep away or go home every night? In CT we have both and it depends on the department.

Help would be greatly appreciated.

-John (CTJMG)

1. No. You will have to decide where you want to live and work and start researching agencies in that area.

2. Most decent departments require at least 60 hours.

3. Not every department has a swim test. Most of the departments in Dade and Broward Counties do have on though, and they vary from department to department. There's no state sanctioned swim test that everyone uses.

4. Unless you go to the academy for an agency like FHP you will go home every night. Again, you need to research where you want to live and work and look at their requirements. Outside of South Florida it's common to put yourself through the academy (they are run by the community colleges) and then apply for a job when you graduate. Not many departments hire you first and then send you through the academy down here.